The November 2023 ITG Next Georgia Female Athlete of the Month, presented by Georgia Farm Bureau Insurance, is Appling High softball standout Samantha Lewis. She was one of four Georgia high school student-athletes who were nominated for the award. We thank everyone who went online and voted for their favorite athlete.
Lewis is a junior shortstop and a major contributor who helped lead the Pirates to the 2023 Class 2A state championship under head coach Lindsay Tillman. It was the Appling softball team’s second state championship in the last three seasons, and Tillman said Samantha also was a major part of that title winner in 2021, when as a freshman she hit leadoff and was the starting shortstop.
In this year’s state championship tournament in Columbus, Lewis came through time after time. Tillman said Lewis hit .417 with an on base percentage of .563, including perhaps the biggest hit of the tournament, and maybe even the 2023 season. It was her single up the middle that broke a 3-3 tie with Jeff Davis, driving in the go-ahead run that proved to be the difference in the final game.
Lewis bounced back after sustaining a lower back injury that forced her to miss 12 games around the midseason mark this fall. She was able to return to the team just before the Super Regionals, and her coach was glad to see the standout middle infielder healthy again.
“Samantha just really came back at a great time and helped us capture that second state title,” Tillman said.
Despite missing a dozen games, Lewis still managed a .381 batting average with a .509 OBP.
“She was one heck of a leader on the infield before getting hurt, and was most certainly a leader when she came back,” said Tillman. “It was almost like she had a little chip on her shoulder and had something to prove. She was ready, she was pumped, and she showed it.”
The Appling softball team finished the season 21-7-1 and was the No. 2 seed in Region 3-AA with an 11-4 record. The Pirates won 13 of their final 14 games on the way to their second fast pitch softball state championship in school history.
As a senior in 2024, Samantha will try to make it three state titles in four seasons. There’s no word on anything beyond that just yet.
“She has a couple of offers, but no commitment,” Tillman said.
ITG Next congratulates Samantha Lewis, our November 2023 Georgia Female Athlete of the Month, presented by Georgia Farm Bureau Insurance.
